For some it's opening matching pajamas and sweaters on Christmas Eve, for others it's attending midnight Mass and then driving around and looking at holiday lights and the Town's Christmas tree. Here's a look at some strange Christmas traditions from all around the world. Wherever in the world Christmas is celebrated, certain traditions are also observed. Some are more or less obvious and general, but there are others that, at first sight, seem to have little to do with Christmas. Nevertheless, they are deeply ingrained in the countries where they are practiced.

1. In Austria a ghoulish creature called 'Krampus', the evil accomplice of St Nicholas, is said to wander the streets in search of badly behaved children. During the month of December, you can expect to see terrifying masked figures out and about scaring kids and adults alike with ghastly pranks.
2. Norwegians have an age-old superstition. On Christmas Eve, evil spirits and witches come out. Therefore, all the brooms in houses across Norway are hidden so the witches cannot ride around on them and cause havoc or even break them under the Christmas tree.
3. In the week leading up to Christmas, Venezuelans attend a daily church service called Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass). In the capital, Caracas, it is customary to travel to the church service on roller skates. Indeed, so widespread is the practice, many roads in the capital are closed until 8am to provide Christmas worshippers with a safe passage.
4. Families in Finland usually visit the graves of their ancestors and relatives on Christmas Eve to light candles in memory of the deceased. Hence, on Christmas eve, cemeteries would be lit up with candles presenting a beautiful sight.
5. Locals in Catalonia create a character out of a log, drawing a face on it and giving it a hat. Then they spend a fortnight 'feeding' it fruit, nuts and sweets. On Christmas Eve, the entire family beats the log with sticks and sings a traditional song that translates to 'If you don't crap well, i'll beat you with a stick' until the log excretes all its treats. It's hard to comprehend why this tradition hasn't caught on elsewhere. They also decorate their nativity scenes with small, pooping, ceramic caganers (figurines). Usually well-known characters, often drawn from that year's news, the figurines always have their pants around their ankles.
6. Sure, in Ukraine there are the usual Christmas tree decorations like baubles, ornaments, and candles (electric or otherwise), but in addition, sparkling, artificial spider webs are thrown over the tree. Legend has it that this tradition goes back to a poor woman who couldn’t afford any kind of decoration. On Christmas day, she found that spiders had woven glistening nets over the modest tree.
7. Every year in the days leading up to December 25th, Dutch children eagerly place their shoes by the fire in hopes that Sinterklaas will fill them with small gifts and treats in the night. Traditionally, carrots are left in the shoes for Sinterklaas' faithful steed, a white horse named Amerigo.
8. Next time you find yourself complaining about granny's festive brussel sprouts, spare a thought for the poor tykes in Greenland. Each Christmas, they have to tuck into mattak – raw whale skin with a little blubber – and kiviak, which is made by wrapping an auk (a small arctic bird) in seal skin, burying it for several months and eating its decomposed flesh.

Do you like those traditions?
You can do your own research and find out even more strange Christmas traditions, there are tons of them. Enjoy the journey and celebrate with others from around the world. You may try some of these next year.

What's your family's Christmas tradition?